Aryna Sabalenka has had to wait for her return to the Miami Open after rain caused two delays in her draw against best friend Paula Badosa.
Sabalenka, 25, will open her account at the tournament just four days after her ex-boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov, 42, died in an “apparent suicide” after jumping from a hotel balcony in Miami.
Police confirmed Koltsov’s death on Tuesday, before his girlfriend of three years was seen practicing in court hours later. It was subsequently confirmed that she still planned to compete in the Miami Open.
Sabalenka, who revealed on Wednesday that her relationship with the professional hockey player was already over, will face Badosa, one of her close friends, in the Round of 64 on Friday.
Their match was initially scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m. local time, but due to heavy rain in Miami, the match was postponed by an hour. And with the downpour showing no signs of slowing down, tournament officials have pushed back the rain for another hour until 1:00 PM ET.
Aryna Sabalenka has had a long wait for her return to the Miami Open on Friday
Friday’s tournament action has already been postponed twice due to heavy rain
Sabalenka is going to court for the first time since the death of her ex-boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov
Koltsov, who had been in a relationship with Australian Open champion Sabalenka for three years, died on Monday at the age of 42 after jumping from a hotel balcony in Miami.
Sabalenka took part in practice sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday, blocking out the grief in the first days after Koltsov’s apparent suicide in preparation for Friday’s opener.
Miami-Dade police have taken over the investigation into Koltsov’s death. However, his ex-wife Mikhailova has given her opinion on what might have happened to him – saying that he was “most likely drunk” before his fall and that there were things all over his room on the 23rd floor of the St. Regis liquor bottles were found. Bal Harbor Resort.
‘Most likely he was very drunk,” she said Zerkalo about the ex-NHL star, who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and represented Belarus at two Winter Olympics. ‘Unfortunately, hockey players are sometimes guilty of that.
‘Empty alcohol bottles were found in the room where Konstantin was staying. There was a balcony with an ocean view. Probably Konstantin did not keep track of his actions.
‘WWe still have the old family computer with Konstantin’s email. I knew the passwords and managed to open some emails. Konstantin had also booked apartments at another location. Purchases that have not yet arrived have been paid for. He rented a car for a long time.
“That is, he did not mean to die. Of course, anything can go to your head, but there was no sign of tragedy.”
Police have ruled out murder and expect the investigation to be completed within a month, Mikhailova said.
It is unclear when the relationship between Sabalenka and Koltsov ended, but several sources said this The Telegraph that the couple had broken up.
Sabalenka returned to training just 24 hours after Koltsov’s death due to an ‘apparent suicide’
She will face best friend Paula Badosa in the Round of 64 of the Miami Open
In a statement on Wednesday, Sabalenka claimed her relationship with Koltsov had already ended, as she broke her silence on the “unthinkable tragedy.”
The pair were first linked in June 2021 and the two-time Australian Open winner has regularly posted photos of them together on her Instagram account.
“I love you @koltsov2021,” she wrote in a message with hearts and other emojis.
“Happy birthday my love. You are my dearest person, my best friend and my strongest support. Peace be with you, strength, patience and health.
‘I hope we get everything we planned. I love you.’
The death of Sabalenka’s partner comes just five years after her lost her father Sergey after his sudden death at the age of 43.
Like Koltsov, her father had also played professional hockey, and the Belarusian athlete has often spoken about the motivation her father inspired her in her tennis game.
For support, call Samaritans on 116123 in the UK or visit www.samaritans.org or www.thecalmzone.net/get-supportor call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988 in the US.